The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1887-07-01
rae RUSSIAN cHuRcn.
The Prevailing Religion OF Russia Since
the Time OF Peter the Great.

The Prevailing Religion of Russia Since
the Time OF Peter the Great.
The great majority of theinhabitants
of Russia belong 10 the Russian
Church. which is 4 branch of and is
identical with the Greek Church.
Christianity was introduced into Russia
in the ninth century. In the great
schiSm between the Eastern and West
ern churches the Christians Of Russia
were divided in sentiment. but later
they generally gave in their adherence
to The Greek party. In 1889 the Rus
sian Church was made patriarchate,
subordinate. however. to the patriarch
pf Gonstantinople. This subordination
was acquiesced in for about
century. and was then repudIated
hy the Patriarch Nixon. who
claimed authority to alter the
ritual of the church. and even to dis
regard civil power, One of the first
reforms. therefore. of Peter the Great.
was the suppression of the patriachate
aud the direct subordination of the
Church to the civil authority. He acted
very cautiously in the matter. appoint
ing. on the death of the patriarch
Adrian in 100. an acting director of
ecclesiastical affairs, with the title of
ESarch. to sci until new patriarch
could be chosen, and when. after an
interval of twenty years. the public
mind had partially forgotten the patri-
arehatts. the office was formally abol-
iShed, and the administration of church
affairs placed under the direction of a
council of Bishops and Archbishops
appointed by the Emperor Un-
der the direction of this council a COM
plete revision of the doctrine. diSei-
pline and government of the church
look placc. and the changes being ap-
proved by the Gar. the new code was
adopted by the Russian Church. In
doctrine the church does not differ ma
ter.ally from the main body of the
Greek. The liturgy used is the same
rs that OF the church nj Constantine
pie. bur il is not read IN Greek, but IN
the Slayonic tongue. One of the prin-
cipal objects of tha ir perial policy to-
waid the church, i9an ,sNrated by Peter
the Great. has been :. general uniform
itv of religious opinion throughout the
empire Dissent. in all its forms. has
not only been discourag ged. but in
many cases vigorously repressed, and
II has only been during late wears that
general tolerauon mas Ucrn per NM tcs1.
The Roman Catholic Church. forming
the largest body of dissentients, has
been the object of especial severity.
particularly under tine Car Nicholas.
The next largest body OF diSsenters
i generally callei the Raskolniks,
but they style themselves Old Believ-
ers. They withdrew from the church
at the time that changes were intro
dnced into its ritual by the Patriach
Nixon. and they have never agreed Ii
acknowledge the Car as head of tho
church They have often been severe.
~ prosecuted by the government. The
established church is still granted some
especial privileges. None of its mem
hers are allowed to seeede to another
denomination. and all children oi
mixed marriages are declared to be
under its control. In other respects
under the laws of Alexander H., al
Catholics and Protesfants enjoy equa
civil rights with members of the estab-
lished church. and are equally adnlis-
sible to the highest offices of the em
pire, while even unconverted Tartar.
are allowed to hold military Offices
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